Propellers for boats and ships



-"16 1966 w. J. Ml=-E" 3,266,578

PROPELLERS FOR BOATS AND SHIPS Filed Jan. 6. 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I l i LI. 4 I U3 O a; 9 Q u- INVENTOR. Q i

A I I I ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1966 w. J. M NEIL PROPELLERS FOR BOATS AND SHIPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 6. 1965 FIG. 4-

f-rmY 16, 6 w. J. MCNEIL 3,26

PROPELLERS FOR BOATS AND SHIPS Filed Jan. 6, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l/4T URN Z Z I: Q 3 o lg z 5 a 3 :2 ld- B B .1 1 N 3 IL! Z INVENTOR. r 121% ATTORNE United States Patent 3,266,578 PROPELLERS FOR BOATS AND SHIPS William J. McNeil, 719 Kahl Bldg, Davenport, Iowa Filed Jan. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 423,713 Claims. (Cl. 170-159) My invention relates to a fluid propelling assembly. The assembly includes an improved multiple-bladed propeller of one to four or more blades. Primarily the assembly is designed for and capable of driving boats and ships through and across a body of water by reaction of the rearward pressure produced on a lake or other body of water by forcible rotation of a rotary propeller with a plurality of three, four or more blades with their inner ends rigidly mounted in spaced arcs around and upon the surface of a sphere or ball-like member with a main drive shaft integral with or extending through and united to the center of the ball-shaped hub, at substantially a right angle to a horizontal line of travel performed by the boat which carries the propeller and its power plant to operate the main shaft of the propeller rapidly and at a substantial saving in cost of operation.

The objects of my invention are to provide improved forms of propellers, propeller shafts, and blades for moving fluid of any type and primarily for use on boats and ships which will greatly increase the reactive force that urges the boat forwardly when the propeller is forcibly rotated with augerlike rotation and advancement in its normal direction by its driving means of mechanical, electrical, compressed air, or other form of power.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an outline of a form of propeller and its drive shaft which has been in general use for many years on boats and ships, both large and small on ponds, lakes, or other bodies of water within which power was supplied by motor means carried at the stern of the boat to rotate its drive shaft and propel the boat forward by transmitting power to and exerting pressure rearwardly and downwardly upon the body of water to drive the boat forwardly and inclined upwardly by the reaction of such pressure upon the propeller and boat, or vice versa.

FIGURE 1 also shows the form of propeller drive shaft and propeller at a lesser angle to the horizontal in use for many years but which caused a large waste of power when used actively. The propeller blades are at right angles to propeller shaft 4 and consequently in such an arrangement the water is forced in a downward and rearward direction as indicated by the arrows 18.

FIGURE 2 is a half sectional outline of an improved righthand propeller including a main propeller shaft 4 with a spherical or ball-shaped hub 1 rigidly mounted thereon or integral therewith at the rear end thereof bearing a plurality, preferably two, three, four or more, of curved blades protruding radially from the circumference of and in respect to the center point of the ballshaped, spherical hub 1. As may best be seen in the drawings, the blades 2, 2' also lie in inclined relation to the main shaft 4. When forcibly rotated in one direction, the blades exert strong horizontal pressure rearwardly upon the body of water in the direction of the arrows 14 at the rear thereof tending by counter reaction to drive the propeller and boat forwardly at a convenient speed, said hub being numbered 1, the opposed blades 2, 2', the main drive shaft 4, nut 5, washer 6, lock nut 7, and lock bar or key 11.

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of the propeller showing four blades 2, 2', 3, 3' and the hub 1 in solid lines and a dotted circle 2A around the figure to show the path traveled by the outermost points of the blades when driven.

, 3,266,578 Patented August 16, 1966 FIGURE 4 shows propeller blades 2, 2' in vertical position and one blade 3 in outline.

FIGURE 5 shows a top or plan view of the drive shaft 4 and the blades 2, 2', 3, 3', hub 1, in five diiferent positions of rotation, labeled to show the five angular positions relative to the vertical dotted line.

FIGURE 6 is a lateral elevation of the propeller with blades 2, 2, 3, 3 and shaft 4.

FIGURE 7 is an outline of a boat showing the relative position of the propeller and its motor, although no claim is made for any specific type of motor, as my propeller may be adapted to any usable form of motor.

In the operation of my propeller, it is mounted at the stern of the ship or boat and may be driven by any desired form of motor 16 adapted to rotate the drive shaft at a high speed, whereby the blades, because of their angle, will exert a high pressure rearwardly upon the body of water and a similar pressure will be exerted forwardly by reaction upon the blades and the ball to drive the boat forwardly.

The figures, other than FIG. 1, show a greatly improved form of propeller blades 2, 2, 3, 3, propeller shaft 4, and a solid spherical or round ball 1 of suitable diameter, with the drive shaft 4 extending through the center of the ball 1. The propeller blades 2, 2', 3, 3, ball 1, and its shaft 4 are supported firmly by a journal support 8 carried on a bracket 9 depending from the hull 10 of the boat and are of any durable metal such as iron, steel, brass, aluminum, or are coated to prevent rust, and may be driven by a suitable form of motor 16.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, it should be particularly noted that the center point of the spherical hub 1 is also on the axis of the drive shaft 4 and further that the principal axis or center line of the blades 2, 2', extends through the axis of the hub 1 and at an angle to the axis of the shaft 4. It is obvious blades 2, 2' and 3, 3 are diametrical extensions of one another and have the same principal axes. This feature is important because as the shaft rotates the individual blades will follow different paths. Also, since the main axes of the blades 2, 2', 3, 3' extend through the center of the ball shaped huh I there will not be created a vibration in the shaft 4 and the boat hull 10. Consequently the blades 2, 2', 3, 3 may extend at different angles in relation to the shaft 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be noted that in the neutral position the fluid or water will be driven by the blades 2, 2', 3, 3 directly rearwardly and horizontally; at one-quarter turn the blades drive the water or fluid downwardly and to the right as compared to neutral; at one-half turn the blades drive the water further downwardly and again directly rearwardly; at three-quarter turn the blades drive the water to the left and only slightly downwardly; and after a complete turn the blades again move into their neutral positions. Consequently fluid is forced from the blades 2, 2', 3, 3 in a wide cone-shaped path formed about the axis of the drive shaft 4 and beginning expanding from the blades 2, 2, 3, 3'. Further, it should be recognized that each blade follows a separate path and does not track in the path of the preceding blade. Therefore each blade moves or augers a different area of fluid and forces it in a different path than the other of the blades, thereby making each blade operate at a greater efficiency.

I claim:

1. A motor driven propeller arranged to drive a boat or ship in combination with a strong fore and aft extending drive shaft driven by the motor and having a rear section adapted for immersion in water beneath the stern of the boat with a solid metal spherical shaped ball fixed to the rear section of said main drive shaft, said ball having its outer spherical surface formed about a point on the axis of the drive shaft, and a plurality of blades united to the ball and extending radially in respect to the ball and at least part thereof being inclined in respect to said drive shaft and at different angular relations to the shaft whereby the rotation blades are axially offset from one another.

2. A fluid propelling assembly comprising a main drive shaft; a ball-shaped hub fixed to the shaft and having an outer spherical surface formed about a point on the axis of the shaft; and a plurality of blades rigid with the hub and extending radially in respect to the hub, with at least part thereof being inclined at different angles in respect to the shaft whereby the blades are axially offset to one another.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 in which the blades are in pairs extending-diametrically to opposite sides of the huh. I

4. The invention defined in claim 2 in which the propelling assembly is utilized on a boat and the drive shaft is inclined downwardly into water, and the assembly creates a cone-shaped flow of fluid away from the blades with the upper side thereof being substantially horizontal.

5. A fluid propelling assembly comprising a main drive shaft; a ball shaped hub fixed to the shaft and having an outer spherical surface formed about a point on the axis of the shaft; and a plurality of blades rigid with the hub extending radially in respect to the hub and at different angles in respect to the shaft whereby the blades are axially offset in respect to one another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 333,805 1/1886 Yagn 170-160.56 X 360,833 4/1887 Vogclsang l159 562,190 6/1896 Miller -165 890,973 6/1908 Filippi 170159 985,491 2/1911 Andrade 170-159 X 1,086,274 2/1914 Cardosa 170-159 1,750,778 3/1930 Kay 170160.57 X 1,799,192 4/1931 Schallert 170159 1,895,252 1/1933 Kontos 170159 2,117,062 5/1938 Jablonsky 170160.57 X 2,528,755 11/1950 Johnson et a1. 170-160.4 2,684,654 7/1954 Johnson 170159 X FOREIGN PATENTS 2,735 1862 Great Britain. 3,552 1884 Great Britain. 2,806 1908 Great Britain. 7,678 1910 Great Britain.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, Examiner.

SAMUEL LEVINE, EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, E. A.

POWELL, Assistant Examiners. 

5. A FLUID PROPELLING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MAIN DRIVE SHAFT; A BALL SHAPED HUB FIXED TO THE SHAFT AND HAVING AN OUTER SPHERICAL SURFACE FORMED ABOUT A POINT ON THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT; AND A PLURALITY OF BLADES RIGID WITH THE HUB EXTENDING RADIALLY IN RESPECT TO THE HUB AND AT DIFFERENT ANGLES IN RESPECT TO THE SHAFT WHEREY THE BLADES ARE AXIALLY OFFSET IN RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER. 